FAO Gillsfan

[Robpthegills]

Hiya mate, This post is not meant to be controversial and I certainly do not want to start anti american feeling, far from it as I am pro the USA.

I just wondered after this recent development in Boston, if the American people ever sit back and feel a sense of guilt that they used to sponsor this sort of thing in our country.
Boston in particular with the highest irish community in the USA was one of the main financial streams for the IRA. I just wondered if the Americans ever actually sit back and think
of what they do?

As I say this isnt a dig, I was just wondering if they see the Irony at all, that since america has been bombed, any explosion is now seen as a terrorist act, when previously they didnt give a damn.

Meanwhile prayers and thoughts for all those families in boston who are suffering.

[Garawa]

I think some of the trouble in American is that the place is so vast there is little concept of the outside world. Again, not a dig and more a natural observation as there aren't many countries you can stay in having spent hours on a plane in.

I think when it happens abroad it is like it is so far removed from their own way of life, the London bombings barely raised an eyebrow even though they were committed by the same organisation that carried out 9/11. I don't think it would register any of those thoughts Rob. It's wrong to think that in some ways they can now understand in part what we in the South-east endured all the time and I find myself chastising myself when I do - unable to go into London, constant bomb threats at school made the constant terrorist threat nothing like what is carried out now. If many American's even know it happened would surprise me let alone empathise with it and these attacks will help further relegate any former support for minority groups to a distant memory.

[gillsfan1066]

Garawa has hit it on the head, 99.999999999999% of Americans have never had any interest in Ireland, The IRA or the internal wranglings of the whole Irish situation Americans as a group did not send money to the IRA . That would be like saying everyone that went to Wembley for the Wigan /Millwall game was a football hooligan and should be locked up.
You think Americans living in Kansas or Nebraska , New Mexico or Mississippi or anyone number of other States ever sent money to the IRA, lol, your crazy , lol,most Americans had never heard of them and sure as hell never sent them money.
Maybe in a towns like Chicago /Philly/Boston all of which have a large Irish immigrant populations , (as many as 120,000 are of Irish decent in Chicago ) some people sent "gifts" to the IRA. They were doing what they believed in, was that wrong ?
Looking back on the stupidity of the whole situation the lives so needlessly lost, the misery and anguish that pieces of crap like Paisley and Adams thrived on just to hear their own voices, the whole situation makes me really not very proud.
Apart fro St Patrick's Day when everyone is Irish ,lol, most call themselves American , their Irish heritage no longer feels relevant.
My children born here have never had any "connection" with England, they would not dream of calling themselves English American, the same goes for most first and second generation children of all races here, they are proud just to call themselves American.
How many sent money to the IRA ,who knows, old timers who remembered the Easter rebellion ,maybe a few of what I call the football hooligan element. How many Yugoslavians sent money home in the early 90's when there country was at "war" ? Most IRA money in the beginning came from Libya, lol, I guess all those Libyan Irish had strong feelings towards the homeland.
You will always get the hard core groups, the fanatics, The Union Guys I am sure they sent money home , it was for the "cause" to get the English out of "their country", bit like most of the other countries around the World we so happily raped and pillaged for centuries did one way or another.
I would guess there were a lot more Irish people working in the factories of England and living in the bed sit world of London and Birmingham, Coventry or Liverpool that sent money "home" than there ever was Americans sending money from America.

[Robpthegills]

thanks 1066, good insight, I appreciate it

[Elgrande]

I lived in Maine in the early 90's and visited Boston on a few occassions and in some areas the "send money to the boys" faction was very strong. In fact I was refused service in one bar because I was English and the guy was wearing a Noraid tie pin. I had quite a few "heated" discussions with people in Boston and many were very much Irish American and harped on about the potatoe famine etc. Kennedy was quite openly a Sinn Fien supporter and invited Adams to lead the St Patricks day parade (and drink green Bud). It always irked me that so many could not see the irony of supporting terrorists in one part of the world, but being up in arms about it in another. I think 9/11 was a big contributer to the peace process as even these died in the wall Republicans couldn't openly collect funds anymore.
As for those in the UK; it was an open secret that a large section of the Murphy's work force sent money to the boys and i have seen many a collection tin in the pubs in Kilburn and surrounding areas.